1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electric power distribution systems and, more specifically, to a spacing stabilizer structured to stabilize and position the meter jaw buses so that a meter assembly may engage the meter jaw buses.
2. Background Information
Meters are used to measure the quantity of electric power delivered to a location, such as a building, from a common feeder system. Typically, the meter is disposed in a meter compartment within an enclosure. Elongated buses, that is line and load buses, extend along the rear of the enclosure. There are, typically, two 110 volt line buses which are connected to one or more utility lines. The corresponding load buses are coupled to the building's electrical system.
The meter compartment has a plurality of flat, elongated, L-shaped buses collectively identified as the “meter jaw buses.” The L-shaped buses are disposed in aligned, opposing pairs. One L-shaped bus in each pair of buses is connected to a line bus or a load bus. Each L-shaped bus has two legs. A first leg extends generally parallel, and adjacent to, the back of the enclosure and is coupled to a base assembly as well as either the line or load bus. Each L-shaped bus second leg extends generally perpendicular to the first end and toward the front of the enclosure. That is, each bus second leg is cantilevered and extends toward the front of the enclosure. The meter jaw buses are mounted on a base unit, which is made from a non-conductive material, coupled to the back of the enclosure. At the tip of each meter jaw bus is a jaw assembly structured to engage a meter bus disposed within a meter assembly bus tabs.
A meter assembly includes a housing in which the metering devices are enclosed. The housing includes a plurality of bus tabs. Each bus tab is structured to engage the jaw assembly on each meter jaw bus. The bus tabs are aligned in a structured pattern. The bus tabs may have chamfered edges to assist in guiding the bus tabs into the jaw assembly. A disadvantage to this system is that the meter jaw buses do not always align with the fixed bus tabs on the meters, thereby preventing the meter from being installed. This problem may arise for several reasons. First, the enclosure is typically a thin metal housing that may flex, or “oil can,” when pressure is applied. Pressure is typically applied when a meter being installed contacts one cantilevered end prior to other cantilevered ends. The flexing of the enclosure allowed the cantilevered ends to move out of alignment. Second, the L-shaped buses may shift on the base unit, or, the base unit may shift relative to the enclosure. Such a shift may occur over time or may result from something forcefully contacting the meter jaw bus assembly, for example, a misaligned meter. Third, the buses are, typically, made from a malleable metal and may bend when pressure is applied or become bent.
There is, therefore, a need for a spacing stabilizer structured to hold the L-shaped bus second ends in the proper alignment.
Because the spacing stabilizer does not have to remain on the meter jaw buses after the meter is installed, there is a further need for the spacing stabilizer to be easily removable.